Verification has always been hard, but it's growing exponentially more difficult with increasing system-on a-chip (SoC) complexity. It's tempting for verification teams to adopt new languages, methodologies, and technologies to turn up those corner-case bugs. Yet doing so can only increase the risk factors, unless the would-be adopters have solid support.
To reduce those risks, Cadence's latest Web-based system gives verification teams a handle on the resources needed to adopt and customize its Incisive Plan-to-Closure verification methodology for complex SoC designs. This methodology supports design and multi specialist enterprise teams; adoption and application of the SystemVerilog, VHDL, SystemC, and e languages; and processes spanning planning and transaction-level verification, assertion-and coverage-driven verification, and system-level verification (see the figure).
Getting one's arms around so wide-ranging a methodology can be daunting, so Cadence's Incisive Plan-to-Closure Knowledge System seeks to break new ground in delivering a verification methodology. It's set up to go beyond manuals and libraries to enable wide sharing of methodology resources, including those provided by Cadence, internal users, and an external community. Because it's Web-based, the system can be thought of as a "living" resource that'll see frequent updates. Items such as documented best practices, search favorites, executable "golden" examples, technology libraries, templates, and more are all included in the mix.
The Incisive Plan-To-Closure methodology is an attempt to improve the predictability of the process of reaching verification closure. But as the name "Plan-to-Closure" would imply, there must be a focus on the goal as the plan is conceived. The methodology helps users define what features and/or behaviors need to be verified, under what conditions, and with what constraints. It also indicates how those features will be verified and how coverage will be assessed.
Three Web-based components make up the Knowledge System: Incisive Plan-to-Closure, My Plan-to-Closure, and Community Plan-to-Closure. Each component lets users quickly adopt industry best practices to automate the verification process and reduce risks in doing so.
Incisive Plan-to-Closure is a Web space where users can draw from a rich set of Cadence resources. In My Plan-to-Closure, users gain a secure Web space in which to assemble a customized set of methodology resources. These can come from Cadence, their internal groups, or third parties. Community Plan-to-Closure is a virtual forum, monitored by Cadence experts, where users can seek advice, share ideas, and gain additional methodology resources that can help automate the verification process.
The Incisive Knowledge System is available to customers of the Cadence Incisive Design Team and Enterprise families. Incisive Plan-to-Closure and Community Planto-Closure are available now. My Plan-to-Closure will be available in June.
Cadence
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